


Bring Me Happiness

by yell0wbutt0n



Series: Hold me, hold us [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Pale-Red Vacillation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-28 19:17:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18212492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yell0wbutt0n/pseuds/yell0wbutt0n
Summary: Aradia exhales slowly, her fingers trailing down the sides of his neck; she rests her thick arms on his shoulders. “I’m not going to explain your feelings for you, Sollux.”Sollux scoffs again, increasingly agitated. “Oh my fucking god. What ‘feeling’th'?”





	Bring Me Happiness

“He’th a fucking pretentiouth piethe of _shit,_ AA.”

“I know.”

“I mean it, he’th the abtholute wortht.”

“Is he?”

Sollux glances up from his husktop to narrow his eyes at her. “You’ve met him.”

“I have.”

Sollux only sighs irritably in response. His gaze shifts back down towards his computer screen and his slender fingers begin typing, the rapid sound of tapping filling the entirety of Aradia’s respiteblock. Aradia stares at him, fluffy hair hanging to the side as she tilts her head curiously. Sollux pretends he doesn’t notice.

“I know you, Sollux,” she says quietly, after pausing for a moment. “When you truly don’t like someone, you don’t waste your time with them. You ignore them. You cut them out. When was the last time you even spoke to Vriska, for example?”

Sollux scoffs, adjusting his glasses. “Are you genuinely thuggethting that I don’t _‘actually’_ hate ED?”

“I’m simply stating my observations,” she says. “You just… sure do talk about him a lot.” She grins in a way that makes Sollux’s shoulders tense.

“Oh pleathe. I jutht like complaining about him. You know I complain a lot.”

She gives a small giggle. “You do.”

The two are silent for a moment, their words once again replaced with the tapping of keys. They sit on the carpeted floor besides Aradia’s recuperacoon. She scoots herself so that she’s behind him, and taps the center of his slouched spine as a reminder to sit up straight. He reluctantly does so. She then places her warm hands on the back of his neck, running her fingers up through his hair and back down again.

“When was the last time you spoke to him?” she pries.

Sollux dramatically groans again, leaning back slightly. “Doeth it matter, AA?”

“Yes.” She's stubborn.

“...Latht night. I thent him a picture of that ugly looking blob fish thing and told him that’th what hith dick probably looked like.”

Aradia laughs, her fingers still running through his thick, slightly greasy hair.

“Look, AA,” Sollux says. “I love you. You’re, like, the only troll on thith god-forthaken planet that actually bringth me the thlimmetht thliver of happineth. But thometimeth, you’re _infuriating_ to talk to.”

Her amused smile stays put. “How so?”

“Jutht, why can’t you jutht thay what’th actually on your mind? You alwayth thpeak in creepy riddleth and weird hintth ath to what you’re thinking.”

“I don’t think I’ve said a single creepy riddle all day.”

Sollux scowls.“You know what I mean.”

Aradia exhales slowly, her fingers trailing down the sides of his neck; she rests her thick arms on his shoulders. “I’m not going to explain your feelings _for_ you, Sollux.”

Sollux scoffs again, increasingly agitated. “Oh my fucking god. What _‘feeling’th'?”_

She plants a kiss on the back of his neck to calm him down. “I know talking about these things stresses you out. But I’ve sat idly by for too long now. You’re very isolated. You need more than one person in your life. You need to do something, darling. You need to be true to me, and to yourself.”

“Pfft, thayth _who?”_

“Says your moirail. And your matesprit.”

Sollux is quiet for a moment. “ED’th an annoying, thelfish prick. I hate him. End of thtory.”

“I know, Sollux.”

Sollux gently pulls away from her and turns around to face her, setting his husktop aside. “ _Not_ like that.”

Araida only looks at him.

“I mean it, AA.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Sollux sighs, rubbing his temples. Aradia places a hand on his knee, rubbing his leg gently.

“Look, if you _mutht_ know, Ampora did athk me to be hith kithmethith like, almotht two thweepth ago. And I thaid _fuck no,_ obviouthly. I wouldn’t put it patht that pathetic bathtard to thtill have thothe feelingth, but _my_ feelingth _thertainly_ haven’t changed.”

Aradia frowns. “And why is that?”

Sollux raises a brow. “What? What do you mean 'why'? Becauthe he’th thill an abtholute dipshit, that'th why.”

“From what you’ve told me, though, he seems to have changed since you guys were six.”

“Pff, _yeah._ He doethn’t beg every perthon he knowth to be in a quadrant with him anymore, and it lookth like he gave up on hith ‘kill all landwellerth’ thing. Tho, you’re right, actually, clearly he’th a _thaint_ and I want to fill _all_ the bucketth with him. All of them.”

“Sollux, please,” Aradia rolls her eyes. “I know he’s not perfect. But quite frankly, neither are you. Neither is anybody else. But just as you said, he has improved. I’ve spoken to him quite a few times now, and I know he wants to be a better troll.”

“And you think I give a shit _why?_ I don’t care about hith _moralth._ If he wantth to kill me for being a lowblood, then hey, get in line, pal.”

“Then what don’t you like about him?” She asks innocently.

“What do you like about him? I mean, I don’t care who you’re friendth with, really, but… what ith there to like?”

Aradia gently grabs a hand of his and places it in her long, softly knotted hair, inviting him to fidget with it. She knows what he’s doing; she gives him a reassuring smile.

“He’s loyal. At first he pretended to dislike me, but now I know he really does enjoy my company. He likes spending time with me now. It’s so wonderful to see him happy, especially since I can infer that such a state is a rarity for him. I’ve said this time and time again, Sollux, he’s a lot like you. He is cold and closed off to people he doesn't trust, but when he does trust them, he _loves_ them. He’s a very emotional person, but I think he’s quite easy to talk to when he loves you. He’s also very intelligent and fun to converse with, he likes learning about my archeology. And he’s just… so passionate. I listen to him go on about the things he likes - history, science, military, music, art. I really think he has the opportunity to become a wonderful person. And I’m not the only one who thinks that, I know Karkat is close friends with him, and he’s mentioned talking to Kanaya often as well.”

Sollux’s avoids eye contact, slouching once again and fixing his gaze down. He continues to run his fingers through her dark, soft hair.

“...Do you agree, Sollux?”

Sollux bites the inside of his cheek.

“You told me you wanted me to speak my mind more clearly. So, here we go: I think you do like Eridan, at least more than you have in the past. I think you pick on and bicker with him as an excuse to talk to him. I think you’re ashamed that you enjoy his company much more than you did before, and I think you’re actually worried that he _doesn't_ feel the same anymore. I think you have conflicting feelings for him; you hate him, but part of you still wants him as a friend, or something more. And you’re confused and embarrassed of those feelings. That’s what I think.”

Sollux draws a shaky breath, closing his eyes and swallowing dryly. “AA. I appreciate what you’re trying to do for me, but... I can’t talk about thith now. Pleathe.”

Aradia frowns and embraces him; he rests his head in the crook of her neck as she rubs his slender back. “I understand. I’m sorry for stressing you out. I just don’t want you to bottle up your thoughts and feelings. More than anything I just want you to be happy. I want you to socialize and have _people_ in your life that can help make you happy.”

“But I have _you_. That’th more than what I need, or detherve.”

She shakes her head softly. “No, Sollux. It’s not healthy to only have one friend you can talk to. You deserve to be loved. Everybody does.”

“Well, I can make mythelf happy.”

Sollux separates, his eyes subtly sparking red and blue behind his shades. He rubs the back of his neck, still looking down towards his lap.

“That’s an important skill to learn, as well. It’s also not healthy to completely rely on others. But you’re _not_ making yourself happy right now, Sollux. It’s alright if you need a little push from some friends," Aradia murmurs, moving Sollux's bangs out of his eyes

Sollux sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “...Alright. Fair.”

She leans forward, planting a kiss on his cheek, triggering a soft smile from him. “You can talk to me about anything, Sollux. I mean it. Anything. I will never think less of you, I will never think your problems or feelings are stupid or unjustified in any way.”

“I know, AA.”

Aradia leans back and lays down onto the carpet with a small flop, her mass of hair spreading out. Sollux joins her, resting his face against her neck and wrapping thin arms around her.


End file.
